Most Asian bourses closed cautiously higher on Friday after the Bank of Japan kept its policy unchanged and following the declines in tech stocks stateside.
The Nikkei 225 recovered 111.44 points, or 0.6%, to 19,943.26
The Hang Seng Index gained 61.5 points, or 0.2%, to 25,626.49
In economic news, the Bank of Japan kept its policy steady after a two-day meeting today, as was widely expected. The BOJ also had a more positive view on private consumption and other economies.
Meanwhile, air bag manufacturer Takata could file for bankruptcy next week, sources told Reuters. Media reports said the Japan Exchange Group later announced that shares of the company would be suspended from trade today due to the reports.
Takata is reportedly in the process of working out a deal with Key Safety Systems, an American automotive parts maker. The company agreed to pay out $1 billion U.S. in penalties after pleading guilty to fraud earlier this year following a scandal involving defective air bags.
Against the yen, the U.S. dollar traded at its highest level in close to two weeks following the Bank of Japan's decision. Dollar/yen last traded at 111.22 in afternoon trade, compared with the levels around 110.8 seen in the previous session.
Shares of tech stocks traded in Seoul closed mostly lower following the softer lead from Wall Street. Samsung Electronics reversed earlier gains to close 0.2% down and SK Hynix finished 0.2% lower. Internet search company Naver bucked the trend to end 0.8% higher.
Line, a subsidiary of Naver traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, jumped 2.9% to close at 4,045 yen each. Deutsche Bank said in a note that it was maintaining its hold rating for Line after acknowledging the company's plans to re-organize its messaging app to become a "broader mobile platform."
In other markets
The CSI 300 lost 10.03 points, or 0.3%, to 3,518.76
In Taiwan, the Taiex index recouped 68.38 points, or 0.7%, to 10,156.73
In Korea, the Kospi index edged up 0.18 points to 2,372.83
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index deleted 0.65 points to 3,231.44
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 strengthened 36.4 points, or 0.5%, to 7,552.75
In Australia, the ASX 200 added 10.84 points, or 0.2%, to 5,774.03
